CHARLOTTE, N.C. — It's been 20 years since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the United States. Communities across the Charlotte area took a moment to remember the nearly 3,000 victims.
Now, the people who were there during the aftermath are sharing their stories of that fateful day.
"I think this changed all of us forever," said Walter Hillegass.
He was in New York City at the time, when the World Trade Center's twin towers collapsed. The sights, smells, and sounds are something Hillegass can never forget.
"When you see death like that, and you see evil up close and personal you know, you learn just how precious life is," he said.
Hillegass wasn't a first responder, but his response to the attack was to help those in need.
"Just filling up a bucket with whatever you can," he said. "Dust, pieces of metal, paper anything, then you pass it on."
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Like many people, Hillegass felt a sense of duty to be on the front lines.
"I saw all kinds of people down there wanting to do anything even it was just passing a water," Hillegass said.
The anniversary stirs up emotions and memories that are hard to face; the realization many did not survive is at the core of them. But Hillegass also had hope for those who survived, and for a lesson of appreciation for all.
"Life is sacred," he said, "don't waste it, you know, don't waste it."
Contact Lexi Wilson at lwilson@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.